Former Montgomery High School ace Josh Prevost, the Big East pitcher of the year for Seton Hall this season, is now an employee of the New York Mets.

The 2010 Montgomery graduate was the 145th overall pick Friday in the fifth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He was given the great news in a phone call from the Mets scout Jim Thompson.

"It was the right amount," said the 6-foot-8, 200-pound Prevost.

The 22-year-old was the first Pirate to win Big East Pitcher of the Year since 1992.

Prevost, a lifelong Montgomery resident, expects to officially sign in the Mets in the next few days. He said he could even start for the Mets' Brooklyn Cyclones team as early as next week. The Cyclones open the New York-Penn League short season June 14 against the Staten Island Yankees.

After fielding more than a few phone calls — some from people he hadn't heard from in "five years" — Prevost headed for the Livingston Mall to purchase a Mets cap.

"I'm on top of the world, it really hasn't hit me yet," Prevost said.

Prevost said he wasn't surprised the Mets took him. He worked out for them at Citi Field last weekend. He did think he might be taken by the Cubs. Last year he was offered a free-agent deal from Oakland, but stayed at Seton Hall.

"(The Mets) called me and gave me an idea of the money and I said 'yes,' " said Prevost, who only said the money was six figures.

"It's a dream, I've been working on my craft for for 15 years, but I'm not resting on my laurels," he said.

He finished as Big East league leader in wins (12), ERA (1.62), strikeouts (111), opponent batting average (.158), innings pitched (1161/3), complete games (6) and shutouts (3). Prevost tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout in his last start, a 1-0 win over St. John's. His seven strikeouts in the game gave him 111 for the season, third-most in Seton Hall history.

Prevost becomes the fourth Seton Hall starting pitcher to be drafted in the last four years.

"I really didn't have a good first two years at Seton Hall, but I was able to make the adjustments," Prevost said

He said he planned on having dinner Friday night with his girlfriend, Samantha — a Seton Hall golfer — his mom Anita and his family.

Villanova junior right-hander J..P. Kole, who led Ridge to a Somerset County Tournament title in 2011, was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth round.

Rutgers senior Brian O'Grady was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth round.